‘Outdoor air’ generally refers to air which is located outdoors (out-of-doors) or outside of (typically, automatically or/and manually climate controllable) closed types of structural entities (i.e., buildings), and which is normally, continuously breathed in by humans on a daily basis, among the myriad of other ways in which outdoor air is used or/and consumed. ‘Outdoor air particulate matter’ generally refers to essentially any type(s) or kind(s), size(s), and quantity(ies), and, ranges and distributions thereof, of matter being in particulate (or particulate-like) (solid phase) form, which is present in or throughout outdoor air. Such particulate (or particulate-like) matter is considered as being ‘airborne’ (i.e., moved or conveyed by or through air). Such particulate (or particulate-like) matter is composed or made up of essentially any type(s) or kind(s), size(s), and quantity(ies), and, ranges and distributions thereof, of inorganic or/and organic material(s) or substance(s). Such particulate (or particulate-like) matter is either visible (macro-sized) or invisible (micro-sized) to the naked eye. A well known and commonly used convention for characterizing the size of such particulate (or particulate-like) matter is based on the particulate (or particulate-like) matter having a characteristic diameter (such as an average or longest diameter) of less than a specified magnitude, for example, less than 2.5 microns (fine particulate matter), or less than 10 microns (course particulate matter), being referred to by the terms ‘PM2.5’, and ‘PM10’, respectively.
‘Contaminated (polluted) outdoor air particulate matter’ generally refers to outdoor air particulate matter (as described above) which, by itself is at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant (pollutant), or/and is contaminated (polluted) by (i.e., includes) at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant (pollutant). Alternatively stated, there are two ‘main’ cases, and a third ‘combination’ case thereof, of ‘contaminated outdoor air particulate matter’. Namely, in the first main case, the outdoor air particulate matter is by itself at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant, and is therefore, contaminated outdoor air particulate matter. In the second main case, the outdoor air particulate matter is not by itself a contaminant, rather, the outdoor air particulate matter is contaminated by (i.e., includes) at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant, and is therefore, contaminated outdoor air particulate matter. In the third ‘combination’ case, the outdoor air particulate matter includes (is composed of) both the first and second main cases of contaminated outdoor air particulate matter.
A ‘contaminant (pollutant)’ generally refers to essentially any type(s) or kind(s), form(s), size(s), and quantity(ies), and, ranges and distributions thereof, of matter that, when a human (internally or/and externally) contacts (is exposed to) sufficient quantity(ies) or/and duration(s) thereof, such matter is considered (i.e., either known or suspected) as being, or potentially being, problematic, hazardous, or harmful to human health and well being.
For the case of outdoor air particulate matter itself not being at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant, then, such outdoor air particular matter is contaminated by at least one type or kind, and form, of contaminant as a result of one or more physicochemical interaction mechanisms (such as physical or/and chemical absorption or/and adsorption) existing between the outdoor air particulate matter and the at least one contaminant, whereby the at least one contaminant is physically or/and chemically absorbed or/and adsorbed on or/and within the outdoor air particulate matter. In such a case, the outdoor air particulate matter serves as the mobile medium or carrier (transporter, conveyor) of the at least one contaminant.
For either case of the outdoor air particulate matter itself being at least one contaminant, or, being contaminated by (i.e., including) at least one contaminant, or, being a combination thereof, then, in view and by extension of the preceding description, ‘contaminated outdoor air particulate matter’ generally refers to matter that, when a human (internally or/and externally) contacts (is exposed to) sufficient quantity(ies) or/and duration(s) thereof, such matter is considered (i.e., either known or suspected) as being, or potentially being, problematic, hazardous, or harmful to human health and well being. Such human (internal or/and external) contact with (exposure to) contaminated outdoor air particulate matter is generally effected by normal human air-breathing mechanisms (i.e., via nasal passageways or/and skin pores), and by normal human air-contacting (exposure) mechanisms (i.e., direct contact (exposure) of non-porous areas of skin to air).
A direct result and consequence of contaminated outdoor air particulate matter, considered (i.e., either known or suspected) as being, or potentially being, problematic, hazardous, or harmful to human health and well being, is the need for monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout regions populated by humans. Such is especially the case for fulfilling the important objective of achieving and maintaining high quality levels of outdoor air of the human populated regions, which, in turn, contributes to achieving and maintaining high quality levels of public health, welfare, and activities throughout the human populated regions.
Monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout a region involve the following three main aspects: (1) monitoring (tracking, checking, testing) the (contents or/and quality of the) contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout the region, (2) parametric profiling (characterizing, classifying, correlating) the (contents or/and quality of the) contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout the region, and (3) regulating (controlling, changing) the (contents or/and quality of the) contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout the region.
Teachings of or/and relating to monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout a region, and of related or/and associated subjects and applications thereof (such as monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating outdoor air, or/and contaminated (polluted) outdoor air), are well known and taught about in scientific, technical, and patent, literature, and currently practiced in a wide variety of numerous different fields and areas of technology.
There exists teachings and practices of a wide variety of different analytical methods and techniques, and associated analytical equipment, instrumentation, hardware, and software, which are suitable for on-line (real time, near-real time) or off-line analysis of contaminated outdoor air or/and contaminated outdoor air particulate matter. Clearly, many factors, parameters, conditions, criteria, and requirements, are involved that need to be identified, analyzed, considered, accounted for, and possibly tested, in order to properly determine which particular analytical method or technique, and, associated analytical equipment, instrumentation, hardware, and software, are most suitable for analyzing a particular type or kind, form, and quantity, of contaminated outdoor air or/and contaminated outdoor air particulate matter.
Hyper-Spectral Imaging and Analysis
Hyper-spectral imaging and analysis has been established as a highly unique, specialized, and sophisticated, combined spectroscopy and imaging type of analytical method or technique, in the more encompassing field or area of analytical science and technology, involving the sciences and technologies of spectroscopy and imaging. By definition, hyper-spectral imaging and analysis is based on a combination of spectroscopy and imaging theories, principles, and practices, which are exploitable for analyzing and classifying various different types and kinds of samples of matter in a highly unique, specialized, and sophisticated, manner.
Hyper-spectral imaging, in general, generating and collecting hyper-spectral images, and, processing and analyzing hyper-spectral image data and information, in particular, theory, principles, and practices thereof, and, related and associated applications and subjects thereof, such as the more general subject of spectral imaging, are well known and taught about in scientific, technical, and patent, literature, and currently practiced in a wide variety of numerous different fields and areas of technology. Selected teachings and practices of hyper-spectral imaging and analysis by the same applicant/assignee of the present invention are disclosed in references 1-8 (and references cited therein).
In sharp contrast to the regular or standard spectroscopic imaging technique of ‘spectral’ imaging and analysis, the more highly specialized, complex, and sophisticated, spectroscopic imaging technique of ‘hyper-spectral’ imaging and analysis, consists of using a hyper-spectral imaging and analysis system for on-line (real time, near-real time) or off-line generating and collecting (acquiring) hyper-spectral images and spectra (herein, together, generally referred to as hyper-spectral image data and information), and, processing and analyzing the acquired hyper-spectral image data and information. In hyper-spectral imaging, multiple fields of view of an object (and components thereof) (for example, included in a sample of matter) is ‘hyper-spectrally’ scanned and imaged while the object (and components thereof) is exposed to electromagnetic radiation.
During the hyper-spectral scanning and imaging there is generating and collecting relatively large numbers (up to the order of millions) of multiple spectral (i.e., hyper-spectral) images, ‘one-at-a-time’, but, in an extremely fast or rapid sequential manner, of the objects (and components thereof) emitting electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of many wavelengths (or frequencies, or energies), where the wavelengths (or frequencies, or energies) are associated with different selected (relatively narrow) portions or bands, or bands therein, of an entire hyper-spectrum emitted by the objects (and components thereof). A hyper-spectral imaging and analysis system can be operated in an extremely fast or rapid manner for providing exceptionally highly resolved spectral and spatial data and information of an imaged object (and components thereof), with high accuracy and high precision (reproducibility), which are fundamentally unattainable by using a regular or standard spectral imaging and analysis system.
In general, when electromagnetic radiation, for example, in the form of light such as that supplied by the sun, or by a man-made imaging type of illuminating or energy source, such as that used during hyper-spectral imaging, is incident upon an object, the electromagnetic radiation is affected by one or more of the species or components making up the object, by any combination of electromagnetic radiation absorption, diffusion, reflection, diffraction, scattering, or/and transmission, mechanisms. Moreover, an object whose composition includes organic chemical species or components, ordinarily exhibits some degree or extent of fluorescent or/and phosphorescent properties, characteristics, and behavior, when illuminated by some type of electromagnetic radiation or light, such as ultra-violet (UV), visible (VIS), or infrared (IR), types of light. The affected electromagnetic radiation, in the form of diffused, reflected, diffracted, scattered, or/and transmitted, electromagnetic radiation emitted by, or/and emerging from, the object (and components thereof), is directly and uniquely related to, and can be correlated with, the physical, chemical, or/and biological properties, characteristics, and behavior, of the object, in general, and of the species or components making up the object, in particular, and therefore represents a spectral (‘fingerprint’ or ‘signature’) pattern type of identification and characterization of the object, which is directly applicable for analyzing and classifying the object.
Accordingly, hyper-spectral images generated by, and collected from, an object (and components thereof) are correlated with emission spectra of the object (and components thereof), where the emission spectra correspond to spectral representations in the form of spectral ‘fingerprint’ or ‘signature’ pattern types of identification and characterization, of the hyper-spectrally imaged object (and components thereof). Such hyper-spectral image data and information are processed and analyzed by using automatic pattern recognition (APR) or/and optical character recognition (OCR) types of hyper-spectral imaging data and information processing and analysis, for identifying, characterizing, or/and classifying, the physical, chemical, or/and biological properties, characteristics, and behavior, and, species or components, of the hyper-spectrally imaged object (and components thereof).
Teachings of or/and relating to monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout a region, include various different significant limitations, as well as theoretical or/and practical difficulties and complexities, so as to be impractical or/and economically unfeasible to implement, especially for commercial scale industrial applications. Accordingly, in view of such teachings, there is an on-going need for developing and practicing improved or/and new techniques for monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout a region. There is thus a need for, and it would be highly advantageous and useful to have an invention which includes various exemplary embodiments which can be implemented for real-time monitoring, parametric profiling, and regulating contaminated outdoor air particulate matter throughout a region, via hyper-spectral imaging and analysis.